These peanut butter cookies are so good you’ll want to make a double batch. Made with creamy peanut butter, sugar, and finished with melted chocolate and chopped peanuts, they’re a simple homemade treat that tastes elegant but is incredibly easy to prepare.
If you love cookies but want something quick and satisfying, this recipe is for you. The dough comes together in about 10 minutes and bakes in roughly 15 minutes, so you can have warm cookies on the table in under half an hour. Kids can help mix the ingredients or press a fork pattern on top of the cookies before baking.
This recipe uses only a handful of common ingredients, yet the finished cookies look and taste special. The melted chocolate and chopped peanuts add texture and a rich finish that pairs perfectly with the peanut butter base.
These cookies are flexible — you can switch peanut butter types, change the chocolate, or freeze the dough or baked cookies for later. Below you’ll find clear ingredient and instruction sections, plus tips on storage and substitutions.
How to Make this Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- Peanut butter
- Egg — best at room temperature
- Sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Sea salt
- Chocolate chips
- Unsalted peanuts — chopped
- Chocolate bar (for melting)
Instructions
Prep the oven and equipment
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat and set aside.
Mix the dough
- In a large bowl combine the peanut butter, eggs, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Stir with a spatula until the mixture is smooth and evenly combined.
- Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Form the dough into balls — about 1½ tablespoons per cookie — and place them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Flatten each ball slightly with your fingers or the bottom of a glass.
Bake
- Bake for 15–20 minutes, until the edges are just turning very lightly golden. Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet before handling.
Melt and apply the chocolate
- In a microwave-safe bowl, melt about ¾ cup chopped chocolate or chocolate chips. Heat for 1 minute, stir, then continue microwaving in 15-second intervals, stirring between each, until fully melted and smooth.
- Dip half of each cooled cookie into the melted chocolate, let the excess drip off, then sprinkle with chopped peanuts. Set on parchment to let the chocolate set.
Substitutions
- Use crunchy peanut butter instead of smooth for more texture.
- If you don’t have peanut butter, almond butter makes a tasty alternative.
- Bake a minute or two longer if you prefer a crispier cookie.
- Swap the chocolate for dark, semi-sweet, or milk chocolate based on your preference.
Tips and Notes
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.
- To freeze baked cookies, flash-freeze them on a sheet pan until solid, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months.
- You can also freeze unbaked dough balls on a sheet pan and bake from frozen, adding a minute or two to the bake time.
Can I freeze these cookies?
Yes. Freeze baked cookies by laying them on a parchment-lined sheet pan until firm, then transfer to a freezer bag. You can also freeze the shaped dough before baking — bake from frozen but add a couple of minutes to the cooking time.
More Desserts You Might Like
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Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup peanut butter
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- 3/4 cup chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup unsalted peanuts chopped (save some for topping)
- 3/4 cup chopped chocolate bar
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
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In a large bowl add the peanut butter, eggs, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Stir until smooth.
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Stir in the chocolate chips.
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Roll the dough into 1½ tablespoon balls, place 2 inches apart on the baking sheet, and flatten slightly.
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Bake for 15–20 minutes until very lightly golden. Cool completely before handling.
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While the cookies bake, melt the chopped chocolate in short microwave bursts, stirring between each until smooth.
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Dip half of each cooled cookie into the melted chocolate, let excess drip off, and sprinkle with chopped peanuts.
Notes
- Use chunky peanut butter for a different texture.
- Almond butter is a suitable alternative to peanut butter.
- Dark, semi-sweet, or milk chocolate all work well.
- To store: Keep cookies in an airtight container for up to a week.
- To freeze: Flash-freeze baked cookies before transferring to a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.